D.C.’s Providence Hospital scored on the lower end of the spectrum with a score of 28. The lowest-ranking hospital was Sacred Heart Hospital in Chicago, which had a score of 16.

Providence Hospital ranked No. 2 in avoiding mortality, however.

Consumer Reports rated a total of 34 hospitals in the D.C. area.

John James, who works with Consumer Reports’ Safe Patient Project, estimated that 440,000 people each year die after suffering a medical error in the hospital, according to Consumer Reports. That makes patient harm in hospitals the nation’s third leading cause of death, trailing only heart disease and cancer, James says.

Dr. Doris Peter, associate director of Consumer Reports Health, says the hospitals that did the best in the rankings excelled in using proper procedures, following up with patients after they left the hospital and paying attention to side effects during and after surgeries.

When patients are deciding from which hospital they should get care, Peters says they should look at the hospital’s individual rating score and know where the hospital has weaknesses.

Asking lots of questions is crucial for patients, too, she adds.

“There are so many ways patients can become engaged and prevent errors from happening,” she says. “Really, consumers need to ask questions.”